Paddy drying crisis in Narayanpet forces farmers to use crematorium in Kosgi

Facing procurement delays and lack of drying platforms, farmers in Narayanpet district resorted to drying paddy in a crematorium in Kosgi, highlighting ground-level distress in Kodangal constituency despite procurement operations resuming on Monday.

Narayanpet: Reflecting the hardships being faced by farming community in the State, a few farmers in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal constituency, dried their paddy stocks in a crematorium.

Before carrying the stocks for procurement, farmers have to ensure there is no moisture content in the stocks. Accordingly, most farmers dry their stocks on the roadsides and at other places. Due to dearth of drying platforms, a few farmers dried their paddy stocks in a crematorium in the first ward of Kosgi Municipality. Though geographically Kosgi falls under Narayanpet district limits, it is part of the Chief Minister’s Kodangal constituency.

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The farmers have been drying their stocks in the crematorium since Sunday. Officials had suspended procurement, citing lack of hamalis for loading of stocks and other reasons. The procurement centre established Government College ground is about one km away from the crematorium. Already, other farmers had occupied the available limited space for drying their stocks and left with no choice, the farmers left the stocks there for drying at the crematorium. Procurement commenced on Monday but farmers had to wait for their turn.

Incidentally, the crematorium was constructed during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government tenure and thrown open to public in 2021. In addition to basic amenities, there is a garden and avenue plantation in the crematorium. However, locals charge that the crematorium lacks of proper maintenance and sanitation.